Manifestation
by Tyki's Pleasure
Summary: (SPOILER) Alternate future: Lavi has been rescued from the Noah and contemplates the Innocence that changed him. Lavi x Kanda!


**Hello! This was floating around my head while I was procrastinating from doing my actual work. **

**Hopefully see you all in the new year with updates on my other fics.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Fire.<p>

Hot, burning fire.

Long seductive tendrils tasting the sweet air. Consuming.

The symbol of desire. Of passion.

The giver of warmth. Burn too long, however and it becomes a force of devastation

Quite rightly, fire is the greatest gift and the harshest of curses.

All these thoughts ran through Lavi's mind, chasing one another round and round in dizzying circles, as he stared into the blazing white heart of the flames in the grate. The small chamber itself was dark. All the candles had burnt themselves out, leaving behind only a waxy mass as proof of their short existence.

In the late watches of the night, time slips away as easily as sand trickling through fingers. Hours had passed by and still Lavi sat, content, with his lover's head resting in his lap. It not even matter that the rug beneath him no longer offered any comfort. If it were not for fear of disturbing the raven, Lavi would have long ago returned to the comfort of his own bed.

The gentle breathing of the sleeping man put him at ease. Lovingly he traced the outline of Yuu's smooth cheekbone to jaw with the calloused pad of his thumb. It was not like Yuu to trust himself to fall asleep before Lavi. So rarely seen, his carefree face was a sight to behold. No lines marred his face; all the worries and fears were lifted by the sweet relief of slumber.

No, it was the solitude of his own bed that kept him here for a period longer than was necessary.

The fire crackled as it consumed more fuel. The blaze lit the dark tunnels of Lavi's mind, forcing him along corridors he had long since tried to bury. It forced him to remember. Of all the elements Lavi controlled, it was the fire that came easiest, and also the one that caused the greatest destruction.

Hiban had been the first seal Lavi had discovered after weeks of training. The piercing look Bookman had given him had been almost too difficult to bear. Lavi knew that was the moment Bookman had begun to question his choice in apprentice.

The day they had arrived at the Dark Order was so clear in his memory, every detail etched into his skull. He was still learning how to handle a character like 'Lavi' so casual in the face of so much hurt. Bookman who had long ago cast off the need for any name, false or otherwise took the lead, and back then he had been happy with the arrangement.

Quite suddenly Bookman had announced that their new mission was to join the hidden war for a new perspective. Lavi had not understood what that meant by 'new' at the time. How was he to know that Bookman had dallied in this war once before…. But Lavi knew better now. There were scars buried deep inside him that would not let him forget.

Komui had met them upon request. The man was so desperate for soldiers he had readily accepted the terms of their enlistment. The white suited man presented them before the few God Fragments, the Innocence crystals that the Dark Order possessed.

There was no fanfare when the Innocence chose him. No bells rang in his ears; no life changing epiphany came to him in that moment. Only a tingling in his fingers and that was it.

The true revelation came after. When hiban activated and the fire serpent came forth a little piece of his carefully constructed mask shattered. It had been crumbling ever since.

"_Compatibility is not just about finding a physiological match. An odd phenomenon we have observed is that the manifestation of the God Fragment or Innocence appears to be a reflection of the host." Komui walked with purpose, escorting the Bookman and his apprentice to the labs to be tested._

What did a manifestation of God Fragment mean? Was it truly a reflection of the inner being? Every time Lavi activated the crystal, he had inadvertently bared his soul for all to see.

The same could be said for his friends.

The girl who had been chained down, forced to obey; how high she flew now.

The boy who felt the pain of a thousand souls; now he wielded a blade made to set them free.

Even that brat Timothy had a manifested the ability to control and overcome the debilitating powerlessness of youth.

The soft cushion of the armchair he was leaning against caught his head as it fell backwards. Bright blind spots, starbursts caused by staring into fire too long, blinked at him from the shadowy ceiling. The black arms snaking out from the light source danced in flickering patterns over the stone hypnotising Lavi, almost lulling him into the restful sleep that his thoughts denied him.

The turbulence of hiban had been correctly interpreted by Bookman as the master status that burned coolly beneath Lavi's skin. Becoming 'Lavi' had taken its toll on his carefully organised mind. The stacks and files of memories and aliases turned to sooty ash in the inferno. The chaos of his painstakingly ordered mind had been released the day that hiban scorched its mark into the sky.

The raven stirred in his lap. Yuu sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Lavi loved the way that those black locks cascaded over his lover's shoulders. The silky strands ran cool over his fingers as Lavi tangled his hand into the hair and pulled Yuu closer to gently press their lips together.

"Oi baka!" Yuu slapped his palm to Lavi's head. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Yuu looked so peaceful sleeping, like a little kitten." Lavi smiled fondly, enjoying the way his whispered words teased the usually unflappable man. The darkened flush of Yuu's cheeks was worth the second smack to the head.

Now the raven was awake, Lavi had no more reason to prolong his stay in the new general's chamber. Even after all they had been through, an insecure part of him worried that at any moment Kanda Yuu would decide that he had overstayed his welcome. Lavi rose to his feet, his muscles sore from sitting in one position for so long. Lavi stretched until he felt his joints pop satisfyingly.

Thrown over the armchair, Lavi found the shirt he had discarded earlier that night and noiselessly slipped it on. Beside him Kanda was also exercising his sore muscles, though his movements were far more impressive.

The black tattoo that blossomed out from Yuu's shoulder combined with the bronze cast of his skin from the flames, gave the impression of a samurai of old. The sculpted warrior's body gained from dedicated training was so much more than vanity. The fruits of his dedication were reaped with every akuma he cut down. With every life he saved.

And the one unforgettable time Yuu had saved Lavi from the torment he suffered at the hands of the Noah. Cold shivers ran down his spine just thinking about that dark time.

"Quit staring." Yuu growled. Lavi grinned and encircled the smaller man in his arms. He touched his forehead to Yuu's.

"Well maybe someone should stop putting on such a fascinating show. neko-chan" He purred, taking care to brush his lips against Yuu's with every word. Public display of affection definitely out of the question, but behind these doors, Lavi made it his goal to touch the general as much as he could.

Yuu placed a hand on Lavi's chest, pushing him back slightly. "You've been thinking too much again…"

The pressure of the fingers on Yuu's waist increased slightly. Yuu had to clamp his hands on either side of the red head's face to force eye contact. "If you dwell too long on the past, you risk letting it consume you. Trust me, I know." His tone was grave. Yuu was no stranger to pain and loss, having died once already.

Shamed Lavi hung his head. Yuu understood loss; the raven-haired general was still recovering from the sudden discovery of Alma Karma and the near immediate goodbye. The pain of it had caused Yuu to stay away from the order and away from Lavi.

"I know. I-I just can't help it sometimes." Lavi clamped his eyes shut, but that did nothing to still the images. Each Noah face floating behind his eye lids, invading him as Fidora's parasites had done. "I nearly lost myself, Yuu. If you hadn't … I nearly forgot who I was supposed to be.,,"

"Baka Usagi! Stop talking shit." Yuu pulled Lavi down and kissed him deeply. His touch was tender creating an anchor for Lavi to hold on to and find his way back out of the dark. "You are you." The general declared between kisses. "You are here. And you are mine."

All else melted away. There was only Yuu and only Lavi. Just two warm bodies together in the dark. The tempestuous fire was still, tamed in cool balm of the general's touch.

Later as dawn made its slow progress through the window into the chamber, Lavi watched Yuu sleep. His own Innocence had revealed his true nature to all but himself. Done away with the mask he had worn for too long. He wondered now about his lover. What did the general's Innocence say about him? How ironic that he should find peace with the one other soul who was nearly as lost he. The younger Kanda Yuu had buried s much under a cold exterior and his Innocence manifested in a series of illusions.

But beneath it all the warm heart of one who cared too much beat loudly.

Together they had been able to peel away the layers and find peace where there had only been turmoil. .

"Thank you for bringing me back Yuu."

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><p><strong>Happy New Year Everyone!<strong>


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